President Barack "Obama's new counterterrorism strategy, released in June [28] 2011, charted a course for the second decade of the war on terror. Bin Laden's recent death and the revolutions sweeping the Middle East, it said, had 'changed the nature of the terrorist threat,' because they had diminished 'the relevance of al-Qa'ida and its ideology.' […]
6/27/2011
“The U.S. military already spends at least $50 billion yearly on ‘expenditures related to oil,’ according to the American Security Project, a bipartisan Washington think tank.” – Thom Patterson, “Can One Idea be Energy’s Holy Grail?,” CNN, June 27, 2011 […]
6/25/2011
“The Taliban has issued a chilling threat to carry out a series of attacks against 10 targets in Britain, American and France to avenge the death of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. ‘Soon you will see attacks against America and Nato countries, and our first priorities in Europe will be France and Britain,’ deputy […]
6/23/2011
“Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday [June 23, 2011] welcomed U.S. President Barack Obama’s plans for a U.S. troops drawdown and said it’s a sign that Afghanistan is ready to take control of security in the war-torn nation. ‘The number of troops that he has announced to be withdrawn is a sign that Afghanistan is […]
6/22/2011
President Barack Obama addressed the nation on June 22, 2011. Regarding Afghanistan, he said: " '…tonight, we take comfort in knowing that the tide of war is receding.' …'America,' he said, 'it is time to focus on nation building here at home.' " – Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Little America, 326 […]
6/22/2011
Regarding the troop surge he announced in December 2009, President Barack Obama said, in an address to the nation on June 22, 2011: ” ‘We’ve inflicted serious losses on the Taliban and taken a number of its strongholds. Along with our surge, our allies also increased their commitments, which helped stabilize more of the country. […]
6/22/2011
President Barack “Obama announced Wednesday night [June 22, 2011] that 10,000 U.S. troops would leave Afghanistan this year and all 33,000 forces sent as part of a 2009 surge would return home by the summer of 2012.” – “Karzai welcomes U.S. troop withdrawal,” CNN.com, June 23, 2011 […]
6/19/2011
“Outgoing US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has confirmed that the US is holding ‘outreach’ talks with members of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Mr Gates said talks were ‘preliminary’ but that a political solution was the way ‘most of these wars end.’ It is the first time the US has acknowledged such contact and comes a […]
6/17/2011
“US prosecutors have asked a judge to drop terrorism charges against Osama Bin Laden, arguing his killing by US forces last month voids the case. Bin Laden was indicted in federal court in 1998 in connection with the bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224 people in August 1998.” – “Osama […]
6/16/2011
Following the June 16, 2011, announcement that Ayman al-Zawahiri would replace Osama bin Laden as the leader of al Qaeda, “An unnamed US official said earlier that Zawahiri had ‘nowhere near’ Bin Laden’s credentials. ‘His ascension to the top leadership spot will likely generate criticism if not alienation and dissention with al-Qaeda,’ the Obama administration […]